What You Have Always Wanted To Know About Basketball

What do you know about basketball? Do you want to learn more about different tips that you can use when you’re playing? This article is going to explain a few things that will help guide you to be a better basketball player. Carefully consider the following information so that you can play at your best level.

To become a better dribbler in basketball, practice with your eyes closed. This will help you to be able to dribble while keeping a close watch on the action of the game. Be sure to practice while you’re moving too, so that you can dribble and maneuver around the court without ever having to look down at the ball.

When throwing an overhead pass, it is best to keep the ball from actually going behind your head. If you do, the ball is easier to steal. In addition, it takes longer to throw the overhead pass if you bring it behind your head. Throw it from over your forehead.

Learn the positions on a basketball court. Each position has different roles to fill on both offense and defense. There are guards, point guards, forwards, power forwards, and centers. If you want to really enjoy basketball, learn the needs of all of the positions, not just the one you are most interested in.

Proper handling of the ball requires that your fingers be spread apart. This way, you won’t lose the ball when holding it. Don’t allow yourself to have your palm touching the ball either. Your fingers must be the only things contacting it when you shoot or pass the ball at the target.

One of the best ways to play a strong defensive game is to know your opponent. Follow the scouting reports and watch tapes of their games. Keep track of which players are right hand dominant and which are left hand dominant. Having a good understanding about your opponent strengths and weaknesses allows you to focus on how to better stop him. A defender with an education will be good at what they do.

As you attempt to keep up your skills in the off-season, make sure you have fun with your fitness routine. Mix things up and include workouts that focus on endurance, strength and basic basketball skills. When the new season rolls around, you will feel sharp and be ready to go!

Always know where the other players are, both on your team and the opposition. You need to know who is close enough to steal the ball from you, who you can pass to and who might be able to rebound if you miss. Staying on top of the game means knowing the lay of the land.

Learn to control the ball when you need to change your pace suddenly. If your are able to plant your feet and then quickly dribble the ball while on the move, you gain a distinct advantage over your opponent. If your defenders think you are slowing down to make a shot, they will straighten up to try to block it.

As with almost all sports, good mental conditioning is as important as physical conditioning. It is a good practice to use deep breathing exercise before a game to get yourself in the proper frame of mind. A clear mind, focused on the game, is less likely to make mental errors during a game.

To better your vertical jumping in basketball, try doing some deep knee bend jump exercises. Begin by standing straight. Quickly crouch down as low as possible with your bottom nearly touching the ground, then jump upwards as high as possible. The minute you land, crouch immediately and jump back up again. Try doing this about 15 times, and when you’re able to, try increasing it to 20, 30, and so on. Don’t do these exercises more than four or fives times every week.

If your defender is playing you low, pass the ball to teammates using the overhead pass. Be aware of where your teammate will catch the ball. If you throw it too low, the ball will be uncontrollable. If you throw it too high, your teammate may not catch the ball at all.

Have you ever ran out of gas on the court? No matter if you play for a team or as a hobby with friends, you want to be able to last. It takes more than just playing the game during practice to help build your stamina. Taking up some long-distance running and practicing different sprint drills can help.

To set an effective screen, make sure that your feet are slightly wider apart than your shoulders and your arms are crossed on your chest. The wider feet give you balance, and the crossed arms take away the temptation to reach out and bump the player as he goes by — which is a foul.

Hit the gym and do arm curls during your workout. Weighted arm curls will help build the strength and elasticity of the biceps and triceps. This helps to improve passing distance, as well as shooting distance. The forearms also benefit from curls by allowing you to better control and manipulate the ball.

To be a great basketball player you must also be a great athlete. Basketball is a physical sport as well as demanding a great deal of endurance. Weight training can make your body tougher physically. Good conditioning is important as well, so warm up with about 15 minutes of running before doing drills.

Balance is key to taking a shot. When you jump, you should find that you land with both feet at the same time on the ground. You should also feel as if you are heading towards the net slightly when you are in the air. As you take a shot, close your eyes so you can feel what your body is doing.

If you wanted to know more about the game of basketball, then you should have learned something from this article. Now that you have read this information, you’re ready to take the ball to the court. Whether you play on a team or with friends, you can now improve your basketball skills.